The 27th Season of Mile High Pinball League is starting up this week!
When: Thursdays at 7:30pm from November 1st – February 7th
Where: Lyons Classic Pinball
Cost: $40 +quarters for games
See full league schedule here.
All the pinball regulars know that Lyons is the place to play in Colorado but due to the fantastic influx of new players we’ve been seeing at monthly tournaments, I thought I’d go into a bit more detail than I do for my usual upcoming league announcements. Actually, a lot more detail. Here’s what you should know about LCP and why you should join.
About Lyons Classic Pinball
Lyons Classic Pinball (LCP) is ground zero for Colorado’s modern pinball renaissance. Kevin and Carole Carroll opened LCP in 2003, filling it with exceptionally maintained machines from the 1960s to the present. And not just any games – rare ones, LEs, the kind with great rule sets, the kind with good tunes and the kind that are just fun to flip. Iron Maiden LE, Centigrade 37, Blackwater 100, Swords of Fury, Joust..even a Hercules.
This is one cool couple and LCP definitely reflects their vibe – pinball & rock n roll memorabilia clad the walls and solid tunes are always playing (but quiet enough that you can still enjoy the machine callouts and actually have a conversation with your friends). They don’t sell food or alcohol. Just snacks, soda and water – but Oscar Blues is right next door with food, beer and more pinball machines to play. So that means LCP is all ages and a respite for those who don’t dig the bar scene.
Read more about the Carrolls and how LCP got started in GameRoom Magazine (April 2006). Pinball News also did a thorough write-up you should check out.
Meet the Mile High Pinball League Players
The Mile High Pinball League (MHPL) is the official name of this league. It’s run by Chicago Expo 2018’s champion Adam Lefkoff (way to go ABL!) – father to PAPA 20 World Champion and IFPA Power 100’s champ Escher Lefkoff. Needless to say, if you’re looking to learn from the best – this league’s got it.
BUT NEW PLAYERS! – Don’t let that scare you off!
It’s also filled with some of the most laid back, fun-loving people you could ever want to spend your Thursday nights with. There are total newbies, players that just like to destroy castles on Medieval Madness for that satisfying rattle, those who could give a damn about some esoteric rarely seen situational strategy and those who actually want to fill their head with all that nonsense.
Check out some of the players from the 2018 Summer League below.
Summer League 2018 - A Division Winners
1st – Ryan Wanger (left, $360)
Ryan runs the Boulder & Gunbarrel Pinball Leagues as well as the one stop shop for all your pinball LEDs – Comet Pinball (checkout their adorable commercial)
2nd – Escher Lefkoff (right, $180)
Dude, what happened? 😉
3rd – Zach McCarthy (right, $90)
aka Z-Mac, is 1 of 4 phenomenal players that makeup the McCarthy family, owners/operators of Blizzard Mountain Pinball
4th – Adam Lefkoff (left, $45)
League Director and our current IFPA representative
Summer League 2018 - B Division Winners
1st – Smith Patrick (left, $240)
Authentic & charming mountain man, seen here in a rare moment without his brown leather vest. Best to avoid him on Bally’s 1978 Playboy
2nd – Greg Nelson (right, $120)
Relative newcomer and Ryan Wangers’s right hand man at Comet Pinball (nicely done!)
3rd – David Schaal (right, $60)
Lead Multimedia Instructor at CU’s ATLAS Institute (pretty cool!), pinball enthusiast and total genuine guy.
4th – Carole Carroll (left, $30)
The woman ultimately responsible for LCP. Had she not bought Kevin a Bally KISS all those years ago, that guy would still be a plumber. Don’t be fooled, the pinball obsession is a his & hers thing. She’s just sagely quiet so you’ll never suspect her. My kind of lady.
Winter League Schedule 2018-2019
Nov 1: Week 1
Nov 8: Week 2
>> Nov 15: LCP Monthly
>> Nov 22: Thanksgiving
Nov 29: Week 3
Dec 6: Week 4
Dec 13: Week 5
>> Dec 20: LCP Monthly
Dec 27: Week 6
Jan 3: Week 7
Jan 10: Week 8
>> Jan 17: LCP Monthly
Jan 24: Week 9
Jan 31: Week 10
Feb 7 : League Finals